About

This is me

Helen Matthews, I’m aged 39 and living in Cambridgeshire. In 2005 I sold my house, my parents sold theirs and we bought a lovely bungalow together which suited us all. We have a nice Fenland view out the back which affords us some stunning sunsets.

On the 10th November 2011 I became an left leg AKA (Above Knee Amputee) following years of knee problems. I had my first knee operation at the age of 21 (right knee) and a total of 13 knee operations altogether before the amputation. A total of 5 operations were on my right knee which leaves me with a Patellofemoral Replacement (half knee replacement) in the right leg.

So why have I chosen to do a blog? While I was trying to find out information about amputations, like most people probably do, I trawled the internet. Apart from one lady’s website, the UK Limb Loss Information Centre and the Limbless Association the thing that struck me the most was that there seemed to be two groups highly catered for, which didn’t include me. The first was our friends over the pond in America and the second were our service personnel/veterans. Now I am in total supporter of our military but they get the very best healthcare and rehabilitation available to them, and rightly so. In America that have a totally different healthcare system and options open to them. So what about the bog standard British NHS patient like me? Well this is the reason that I decided to start this blog, to document my whole story/experience and share it with others. Every individual is different, recovery times differ, sensations and pain levels differ, even Health Care Trust’s differ but this is about more than that. You will follow me on the highs, the lows, rehabilitation, equipment, processes and life after limb loss.

As far as I am concerned if this Blog helps just one person in the future then it will have been well worth it, if it helps many more then I will be a very happy person :)

Helen
Hi!
Sorry to hear you have been through the mill a bit – but great writing. Keep it up.
I will pass on the blog details as I know the rest of the team will be concerned and will be rooting for you.

This was an unexpected comment; I didn’t know you would have been aware of it so soon. I resigned as the Cambs ACF PRO because the story writing was my weakest area, it would take me a day to write a story that someone else could have done in an hour! The medication may have played a big part but I am hoping that I can make the blog engaging enough to help people with the right balance of information, fingers crossed I can get it right. Thank you very much for your interest and please thank the team for their support.

Hi Helen,
Goodness me what a time you’ve had and I hope things continue to get easier. I have thoroughly enjoyed your blog and, as Douggie quite rightly says, it’s really well written. I think it deserves a mention on our next new media course!

Will be thinking of you during your rehab and wish you a speedy recovery.

Thank you for your support and taking the time to read my blog. It is very good to get a bit of feedback as I want to strike a balance between being informative but light-hearted and engaging too. When I am a bit more mobile if you want to use me as a dummy for your photography course or to give a talk about the blog then I would be happy to help. Thanks again to you and the team.